1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for separating a crop from a continuous tray, and more particularly to an apparatus operable to collect a harvested row crop, wherein, a continuous tray, which has the crop disposed thereon, is placed in a first attitude and moved to engagement with a conveyor means which inverts the continuous tray to dislodge the crop disposed thereon, and thus places the continuous tray in a second attitude. The dislodged crop is then moved by suitable conveyor means to a collection point. The apparatus herein described has particular utility in the separation of raisins from a continuous tray.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
In the production of raisins from grapes, the grapes are generally picked by manual laborers and are thereafter commonly placed on long, continuous trays in an advantageous position between the rows of the vineyard for drying. The grapes are then permitted to stand, while the rays of the sun transform the grapes into raisins. In other cases, the grapes may be sprayed with a solution, such as methyloleate, which substantially removes the waxy outer coating that protects the fruit from the sun. The grapes are then permitted to sun dry on the vine and are then harvested. In some instances the vine dried raisins are placed on a continuous tray for further curing prior to collection. The foregoing are among the most common processes currently in use for the production of raisins.
The direct labor and equipment costs that are necessary to separate and collect the raisins from a continuous tray are substantial. A variety of apparatuses have been developed and used over the years for this purpose. As should be understood, apparatuses adapted to separate row crops and particularly raisins from continuous trays are quite expensive to purchase, and likewise costly to maintain. For the small vineyard owner, such harvesting apparatuses are not cost effective to purchase. However, the alternative of incurring the direct labor expenses may place a vineyard owner's crop of raisins in a less advantageous market position with that of their competitors. As of late, recent bumper harvests of grapes have resulted in a glut of raisins on the market and, as could be expected, this raisin glut has resulted in a continuing decrease in the price which raisins bring at market. Consequently, raisin producers have continually sought to reduce their operating expenses to protect their respective profit margins.
The purchase price and maintenance expenses of conventionally manufactured apparatuses adapted to collect a crop which is disposed on a continuous tray can constitute an extraordinarily great portion of the overall operating costs of a farming operation.
Therefore, it has long been recognized that it would be desirable to have an apparatus that could be manufactured at a comparatively moderate price, well within the reach of even the small farming operation, but would in turn be simple in design, easy to maintain, and be fully effective in collecting the crop from the continuous tray.